Patient assessment is a often a team effort that requires a plan, roles, and follow through​

Football offers plenty of metaphors for just about any aspect of life. Watching my favorite football teams makes me think about how the huddle and coming to the line of scrimmage is much like the scene size-up of the patient assessment.

1. Receive the play

You are part of a team. The dispatcher calls in your play, but unlike a quarterback you don’t have the luxury to audible out of a persistent vomiting, lift assist, or low back pain. What you can do is set your attitude when you receive the play call, "I may not like this play, but I am going to execute this play to win."

2. Clarify roles

The scene size-up begins with dispatch information and the minutes before you actually make patient contact. In the huddle players receive instructions on what they will do on the play — block, run, pass, or catch. During the scene size-up determine who will lead? How will you handle multiple patients? Who will take the report from first responders?

3. Eliminate distractions

As players approach the line of scrimmage they tune out distractions and put their total focus on the job ahead. Once the play is called and as you approach the scene turn off the music, holster your phone, and secure your coffee cup. As you approach the patient eliminate other distractions by turning off a loud television, asking the patient to snub out their cigarette, or for family to calm the barking dog.

4. Make adjustments

Before the ball is snapped players make adjustments to see how the defense will react. Shifts and motions expose opportunities for big gains. I look for easy adjustments during the scene size-up that can make big gains for respiratory distress or pain management. Repositioning the airway, assisting the patient to a position for better breathing, acknowledging a painful situation, or a hand on the shoulder are easy adjustments that can be made to better understand the patient’s problem and can make big improvements before the initial assessment is even started.

5. Finally, remember the clock is ticking

Act with a sense of purpose and pace that is appropriate for the patient and their problem. You need to know the difference between running a two minute drill and a clock killing drive to secure victory.

Are you a football fan? What other metaphors do you see in football for patient assessment? Tell us in the comments below.

Comments

The comments below are member-generated and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EMS1.com or its staff. If you cannot see comments, try disabling privacy and ad blocking plugins in your browser. All comments must comply with our Member Commenting Policy.

EMS1 is revolutionizing the way in which the EMS community finds relevant news, identifies important training information, interacts with each other and researches product purchases and suppliers. It has become the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for prehospital and emergency medical services.